supporting foot twist/rotation

[Spartacus Maximus]

Looking for some effective and challenging exercises to train the correct pivot /rotation of the supporting leg/hip/foot for maximum power in side and round kicks. Perhaps something slightly more focused than just doing the kicks over and over.

This is something quite basic, but there are so many people who seem to have some sort of muscular/joint stiffness that makes it difficult to do this movement more than half of where it should be. They can’t seem to pivot/rotate enough and quite a few others feel discomfort and mild pain when trying to kick with speed/power.

[Nidan Melbourne]

It might be worth breaking those kicks down into their constituent parts and train them then build up and apply the same principle.

Because when you think about it, each segment your foot is at a different position.

So when students start getting comfortable with that segment, work on that transition. Then transition to next segment of kick then do the same.

My sensei does it a lot to train feet, hips and knees for roundhouse kicks.

[Wastelander]

There are two exercises I use for that:

1. Find a railing or chair that is about as high as your hip, prop one foot on it, toes up, and practice pivoting on your supporting foot while twisting your "kicking" foot over to the side, then twist back. This isolates the foot pivot and hip rotation.

2. Chamber the kick and place it against a heavy bag, then push off the bag by pivoting and extending the kicking leg. This removes the impact component and puts your kicks under resistance.

[bushido_man96]

I like Wastelander's drills. I've also done one with just the side kick chamber. Pick the leg straight up and chamber for the side kick (for us, it's like a front kick chamber, but you're looking to the side). Then, rotate the hips over to the position so the chamber gets turned to the side to push the kick out. As you do this shift, lift slightly onto the toes to pivot the base leg as you turn the chamber over. Takes the kick out of the equation to get feel for it.

I'll do that with front kicks and round kicks, too, but just do the chamber and pivot without the kick.

Another option I do, especially for those trainees that tend to have knee issues, is pre-pivot. This is easy to do if there is a step before the kick. On a step-together side kick, make sure the pivot foot is already pointed in the proper direction for the completed kick. For a back leg round kick, like you're advancing down the floor, I'll open that front foot up to about a 45 degree angle, then execute the kick and pivot the rest of the way as I finish the kick. I'll do the same with a back leg front kick, but it won't require the finish that the round kick does.

This pre-pivot breakdown can also be helpful for those just learning the kicks. After they get the idea of pivoting down, you can have start smoothing it all together and not separating it out.

[sensei8]

Great drills so far, very solid!!

Balance is everything. One of the drills that I teach/do, or use to teach/do, is using an overhead pulley system.

Takes a bit of planning as to where to install the pulley system, but the results are priceless.

The drill is as such...

1) Attach the ankle-strap to whichever leg is being drilled

2) Hold the pulley rope in the same side hand as the leg being drilled

3) Slowly lift the kicking leg up into the chamber position constantly adjusting tension on the rope to maintain balance

4) Start extending the kicking leg towards some imaginary target, for example, like at a spot on the wall in front of you, ALL THE WHILE, start rotating your supporting foot. In our style, everything starts and ends at the same time, and our supporting foot is 180 degrees away from the kicking foot, as we emphasis a 4-count (Up, Out, Back, and Down)!!

Very basic but it drills so many elements on how to properly chamber, in this case, the side/roundhouse kicks. This drill works great for both a lead-leg and back-leg side/roundhouse kicks.